Ep 27 Six-time world mountain running champion Jonathan Wyatt, plus René Borg on deliberate practice
· Trail Running Ireland Podcast
Eoin sits down with one of the greatest mountain runners of all time, Jonathan Wyatt, to talk about his work leading the World Mountain Running Association, his two Olympic Games and his favourite world titles. Before that, René Borg explains deliberate practice and how runners can use it to keep improving.
Eoin opens with a shout-out to Joe O'Leary and Kevin Leahy, who have just completed the Iveragh Traverse in Kerry, a new route of about 85km with 44 summits and 7,500m of ascent, taking them over 22 hours. He also covers the news that UTMB is partnering with Ironman.
René introduces deliberate practice, the idea from psychologist Anders Ericsson that getting better depends on how you train, not just how much. Its key ingredients are a clear goal, training that pushes you out of your comfort zone, focus during key sessions, and constant feedback, often from a coach. Eoin shares how a cancelled target race left him without focus, and how stretching his long run to two hours gave him a new purpose.